On The Other Side
by ACalmBefore
Summary: A sequel to my previous story.. A Child Born of True Love. Confident that her new found powers are finally under control, Emma finds herself leading Gold, Belle and Henry on a possibly aimless road trip to find Gold's son. But will she lose herself to her magic? Will Gold lose himself to his obsessions? Or will the people close to them suffer?
1. Chapter 1

Hi! This is a sequel to my previous story: s/8656479/1/# (A Child Born of True Love) Which is about Emma discovering her magic powers within herself and how she.. and those around her.. deal with it.

It would probably make sense to read that one first :)

This picks up a few days after the other one ends... and continues to explore the effects of magic on Emma while on the search for a certain someone's son. Enjoy!

"Kidnapping, Miss Swan! That is what this is!" Regina's voice crackled through the cell phone, which Emma held lazily up to her ear while stifling a yawn. "Don't think I won't contact the authorities!"

Emma sighed, "Madam Mayor, perhaps you have forgotten that even though I am not currently in Storybrooke, I am still the authorities there. Also you handed Henry over to the care of David, he hasn't technically been in your care for weeks."

"Yes, to David not to...," there was a pause on the phone and what almost sounded like a contained sob, "At least I knew where he was, that he was safe! Who knows where you are taking him and what you are up to and..."

This conversation was really starting to bore Emma. Really? Like she was really going to put Henry in danger. She cut off Regina before she got anymore worked up. "Listen, Henry is doing great! I've already let you talk to him multiple times and he's happy and taken care of. Plus, you know I wouldn't put him in danger-"

Now it was Regina's turn to cut her off, "Intentionally, no! But accidentally?! Miss Swan, your magic! It's very powerful and new to you and-"

"I'm in control of it!" Emma snapped harshly and rather uncharacteristically. "I'm in complete control of it, and I'm sorry if you, Regina, are not!" She loudly snapped into the phone before quickly clicking to end the call.

Emma paused a moment breathing heavy and looking at the phone in her hand. A small wave of guilt hit her gently. Her words to Regina were uncalled for and unfair, she knew that. But it just irritated her, she had been feeling more confident then ever these last few days on the road. She had a firm grasp on her ability and what it made her capable of. And, yes, it irritated her that anyone would doubt her. For once in her life she totally believed in herself, why couldn't everyone else? It was bad enough that Gold, Rumpelstilskin, whatever his name was, had been giving her warning looks these past days. A few times even snapping at her for using her magic, "You'll have some seriously awkward conversations if someone see's you," he had warned her, his voice low and tense. "Oh please," had been her response as she took hold of Henry's take away cup of hot coco to re-warm it up with a familiar purple glow as her hand grasped the cup. Henry raised his eye brows and looked cautiously at Gold before taking the cup back from Emma. Henry was understandably wary of Emma's magic, but after many conversations about it, she had managed to convince him that she was not Regina. She was Emma, and she was free from the dark corruption that Regina suffered from. Therefore, her magic was also free from corruption, nothing to fear. It flowed freely and with a practiced control in her and from her and around her, only doing and helping for good. Henry eventually seemed at ease, yet still, the looks from Gold.

Mr. Gold, or Rumpelstilskin, but mostly it was only Belle who called him that, had been getting progressively crankier as they drove further from Storybrooke. Even cranky for himself. Emma figured it was the combined realization that he had no magic outside of the boundaries of Storybrooke and he had to go back to walking with a cane, or actually a large stick that Henry had found for him at a wooded rest stop they had stopped at. And then also the realization that perhaps finding his son would be harder then he initially realized. It was a very big world outside of Storybrooke, Maine.

"Well, I guess you told her." A voice interrupted her thoughts, Emma was leaning against her yellow bug in the mostly empty parking lot of the motel. Still holding her phone in her hand, zoned out and starring at it. She shook herself lightly to look up and see Gold, standing there looking like a living  
oxymoron in his perfectly pressed suit (Seriously! Still with the suits after days in the car...) and his knotted old tree branch walking stick in his hand. He looked a strange combination of old world and new world.

"Uh,... Yeah, Regina." Emma sighed putting her phone back in her pocket. "I was.. harsh. But she just doesn't trust me... Probably never will."

"Aye." Gold nodded in agreement. Emma turned an eyebrow on him, and for a minute thought about saying more but then sighed once more and pushed herself off the car to a full standing position.

"Time to hit the road?" Emma suggested while stretching her arms to the sky, thinking of the prospect of yet again cramming into the small yellow bug.

"Actually, Miss Swan... Perhaps we could have a word first." His tone was serious. Emma couldn't help but feel an immediate weight upon her shoulders, this man use to have a sense of humor once, right? But lately he was all caution and doom and gloom.

"Yeeeeah," Emma crossed her arms and eyed him warily, "Okay lay it on me, oh Dark One of complaints, what's the issue now? You don't like my driving style? Henry's constant travel games of I Spy getting to you? You're unsatisfied with the radio stations in this particular area? You'd like me to take you to the local cane store and get you a real big boy cane?" She sarcastically gestured at his knotted stick to which he finally responded.

"No, actually I quite like my stick," quietly almost as if he addressed the stick itself. Then he cleared his throat and eyed Emma again, "No, Miss Swan, I have no complaints," he looked irritated at the accusation that all he did was complain. "Only, a word of caution,"

"Nooo..." Emma gasped in mock surprise. "From you?"

"Your attitude, Miss Swan!" He raised his voice dangerously. "Which you are demonstrating so _charmingly_at the moment. This devil may care confidence that you lazily throw about," He spoke with disdain as he tossed his hand in the air "You practice your magic with little caution and too much ease. All magic comes with a-"

"A price, I know! Seriously how many times are we going to have this conversation? I know-"

"No! I do not think you do know!" He snapped and gripped his stick a bit firmer. "All magic comes with a price and you are not paying enough attention to what it may cost you." His voice low again with what was becoming his familiar tone of dark caution.

Emma sighed heavily and tossed her hands out to her sides as if gesturing to the entirety of the sparse parking lot, "And what is it going to cost me?" Her voice was tired but her question was genuine this time, no sarcasm.

"Well, for me the cost was my son." Gold's voice was dry and had a threatening hint to it, "and for you?" He paused and raised his eyebrows at Emma while shaking his head unknowingly. "Use caution Miss Swan, or you may find that you indeed fulfill Regina's fears."

Emma dug her heels in the ground and swallowed hard. "I'm in control of it." Her voice steady but smaller and more childish now, "You've seen my progress yourself, I can contain and control it."

"The more you use it, the more opportunities it has to use you."

"You talk about magic like it's this thing that is separate from you. And maybe for you, it is. After all, you have no access to it outside of Storybrooke but I still do. Maybe because it isn't something separate for me, but a part of me, an essential part of me..." Emma thoughtfully said all this while putting her hand over her heart. "You fear I underestimate the power and price of magic, but how can I when it IS me? You think I don't know myself? I have it all under control-"

"You use that word a lot, Miss Swan, 'control.' Just don't confuse control with obsession."

At this Emma finally groaned and rolled her eyes, what was up with this sudden high and mighty act he had going on? "Why should I even listen to you? It's not like you are the shining example for magic usage!"

"Exactly," his voice was tired sounding as he started to turn to head back into the motel where Belle was somewhere inside reading the morning newspaper with a chatty Henry by her side.

"Shall I fetch the others so we can head out again?" He called a bit louder over his shoulder as he hobbled back inside, but it wasn't exactly a question.

Emma shrugged and nodded dumbly at the back of his head, ...this man had a way of saying things that got under her skin.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma's hands gripped the steering wheel. She breathed deep staring out at the highway stretched before her and tried to relax into the drive. There were spurts of murmuring behind her in the back seat. Henry and Belle's voices rising and falling quietly in waves. Belle had all the simple patience and quirky humor of a good babysitter and had taken to Henry pretty quickly. "Train conductor!... Or maybe an astronaut! Oh my god can you imagine if he was an astronaut?!" Emma heard Henry whisper and giggle to Belle. "What does an astronaut do..?" She heard Belle reply before Henry went off on an explanation. Emma knew he was talking about the mystery of Gold's son. Ever since finding out that Gold had a son, missing somewhere in this world, Henry had taken to pondering through different theories of what had become of him and where he might be. This game delighted him and Belle also seemed amused, but Gold did not seem as entertained by it and had taken mostly to ignoring everyone while in the car. Which is super helpful, sarcastically thought Emma, since it was his son they were trying to find anyhow.

Emma let her eyes slide over to glance at him. The first few days she had delighted in taking glances at him and catching small rare smiles on his face, but now it was an unreadable blankness. She had thought them partners in crime almost, just a few days back. Off together to go find his son. She thought perhaps they shared some sort of common understanding, maybe even a bond, in their separate fights for their sons. Now all he did was scowl and throw disapproving words at her about her using magic. Hadn't he been the one who wanted her to use it in the first place? It was all so confusing and it made her feel small like a child. And she craved so badly to be strong and use her magic fully, couldn't he just let her? Why all the 'words of caution'? She shifted awkwardly in her seat trying to relax once more, unsuccessfully.

"Wouldn't it be weird if he worked in a pawn shop?" Emma heard Henry's voice drift behind her as she turned off the highway to a quiet rest stop area with picnic tables and vending machines. She needed a break.

/

"Well, I think you're obviously concerned about her." Belle said with an air of practicality and shrugged while giving him a quick smile.

Rumpelstilskin shook his head at her words, "I have no concern for her. Why would I be concerned for her? I just need her to keep her head about her, she is driving the car after all.."

"And there you go again pretending you don't care about people." Belle's voice a cross between serious and quietly teasing. "I see the way you smile at Henry and the look on your face when Emma used her.. Uh.. Magic-y hands.." Belle awkwardly waved her own hands in front of her face, "to do what she did to break the town line. That was pride on your face. You most certainly do care about her and Henry and you're worried-" Belle stopped short because Rumpelstilskin was frowning at her words and shaking his head again.

"Nah, my dear, you always wrongly give me too much credit." He replied stubbornly and flatly.

"What's so wrong with caring about people?" Belle cried out a bit louder now almost as if to the world at large and not just him.

Rumpelstilskin shuffled awkwardly with his walking stick for a few steps avoiding eye contact with her. They were slowly walking around the rim of the picnic area by the edge of trees while Emma and Henry sat down some distance off polishing off a bag of chips. "I.." He cleared his throat and cautiously glanced at her, "I care about you and my son, of course." His voice low and reluctant, "But frankly, after so long of dealing with greedy and whiny humans, I find caring for them doesn't really come into play for me." He blankly ended.

"You know..." Belle lighted up and came to stand right in front of him, leaning close, "Being human isn't so bad. You ARE one of us you know.." She playfully poked at his chest with her finger. She then raised her eyebrows, "Especially now.." Belle glanced down at his knotted walking stick, and grinned.

"You like me without magic, I know." His voice was flat and annoyed.

Belle did an exaggerated sigh and cocked her head at him while grabbing his shoulders for a little shake, "You frustrating man, I like you full stop, magic or no magic." She paused and waited for him to give her a small sad grin, "I just enjoy seeing you as... incapacitated as the rest of us." She ended with a full smile and before he could fully react to that she leaned forward to kiss him.

/

Meanwhile, across the rest stop and sitting at a picnic table, Emma glanced over at the odd couple standing over by the tall pines.

"Uh, jeez, they're kissing again." She mumbled with some disgust before popping a chip into her mouth.

"Beauty and the Beast." Henry replied confidently without looking up from his book, which thankfully had been in his back pack when Emma had ushered him into the yellow bug several days back.

"Huh." Emma responded, "You think so?"

"I know so."

"Why? Because he's a cranky ol' cripple who needs a haircut and she's... pretty but has low standards?" It came out meaner then Emma meant it. But she couldn't help it she was sore from driving and annoyed with Gold's behavior towards her.

"Nooooo..." Henry looked up and crinkled his nose at her, realizing she was only speaking in jest. "Because there is much more to him then meets the eye and she is the only one open enough to see it."

"Ah," Emma did an exaggerated nod at Henry and glanced over at the couple who had resumed their slow walk deep in conversation. "How did you get so smart, kid?" Emma turned back to Henry with a grin.

"I read. A lot." He responded, holding up his book with a huge teasing smile which Emma happily reflected back. Some of her tension drifting away in the sunshine.

/

"She's like you, you know," Belle nudged Rumpelstilskin as they walked. "I think that's why you are worried. You see her with her son, you don't want history to repeat itself."

Rumpelstilskin looked at her sharply at this statement and narrowed his eyes. "She's not like me..." His voice barely above a whisper but low and deeper at the same time. "She's much more..." He faltered.

"Brave?" Belle offered with raised eyebrows. He just looked at the ground. "Well I agree with that. But that bravery also makes her reckless, which can be just as dangerous as being a coward." Rumplestilkin looked up at this, but didn't say anything. He just quietly thought about how strange, in this world, Belle seemed to see through everything with such clarity and yet needed to have the concept of how a vending machine worked explained to her.

"She's like you with her magic. When I first met her in your shop, she seemed scared and unsure of herself. A desperation in her eyes. But when I see her now, using her magic, even if just to turn on the,..um, flippy floppy...?" She motion her arms back and forth in an arc, her face a question mark.

"Wind shield wipers." Rumpelstilskin answered, with a bit of amusement.

"Yeah! Those swish swoosh things. Even if just turning those on or whatever. She no longer has that desperation, she has confidence it seems. It reminds me of what you are like with, and now without your magic..." Belle trailed off a bit.  
"Of course," she continued, "if both of you could just realize that you don't need magic, then, we'd save ourselves a lot of heartache. But easier said then done, huh?" Belle looked pointedly at Rumpelstilskin who just audibly sighed, annoyed and a darkness starting to creep into his features. "Listen, simply put, she's a parent, with a young boy, feeling confident and powerful with her new magic. Don't you think there's something familiar in that scenario? Of course you are concerned."

"For the last time I'm not concerned!" Rumpelstilskin snapped warningly at Belle who just took a step back. "I need her to find my son. I need her to keep her wits about her so she can _serve her purpose_. But, the happiness of her and her son," He made a point of nodding with a frown in their direction across the rest stop, "is not. My. Concern." A nasty tone taking over as he pointed at himself. "I'm sorry that I keep disappointing you with my lack of a human heart." He practically whispered the last part, but without losing his dark warning edge. His eyes blazed at her one last time before he made to turn away but then abruptly stopped, staring at the ground and his walking stick. "And if you must paint me with any emotion, it's jealously. I can admit that much for you, an angry jealously that she has her son and magic, and I do not." He then raised his tense eyes at her, "Their happiness makes me sick, and your disappointment that I am not more of a caring man makes me even sicker. Is that what you wanted to hear?" That last part coming out almost like a sing-songy tease. He sort of huffed a bit and then shuffled off with his walking stick towards the picnic table where Emma and Henry were starting to stand up, looking ready to go.

Belle was left standing alone in the shadows of the pine trees, wondering if he was right. Was she really disappointed?


	3. Chapter 3

"I think we should just continue down the east coast. You know down south somewhere like, Florida." Emma shrugged casually while the purple light emanating from her hand reflected in her eyes. She had one hand propped up under her chin with the elbow on the small rickety table she sat at in the shabby motel room. Her glowing hand was held up casually, causing the crumpled paper map she had found on the floor of her car to levitate slightly in the air. It smoothed itself and lit up so they all could see it clearly. It was early morning of the fourth day of this,...expedition. And all four of them crowded in, with Gold a few steps back as usual, inside the room Emma and Henry had shared at this particular motel last night. Gold and Belle had shared a different room, and Emma really didn't want to think about it. Although those two didn't actually seem that thrilled with each others company recently, which worried Emma slightly that she'd made a mistake bringing along the librarian.

"Oh! If we go to Florida can we go to Disney World, puh-leeease?" Henry grabbed his hands together and leaned forward like he was desperately praying at an alter.

"Disney World? What is that? Is it actually another world?" Belle mused, her curiosity obviously peaked.

"Uh no." Gold shook his head taking in Belle's sudden interest, "I think that joke of a place is the last place Belle, or uh, any of us need to go."

"Why?" They practically all asked in unison. To which Mr. Gold raised his eyebrows as if in surprise that they would even ask.

"Because it's full of lies." He replied standing a bit taller. Belle looked confused, Henry frowned and Emma both chuckled and smirked.

"Okay, so that's a 'no' to the land of lies then, other suggestions?" She looked mainly at Henry and Belle because she had gotten use to Gold not participating in this part of the travel. Which is why she practically jumped when he spoke yet again.

"I say we head across the country towards California."

"Ooh, do we suddenly have an opinion?" Emma sat up a bit taller herself.

"Yeah," He nodded pointedly, "I do in fact have an opinion. Though you haven't exactly been receptive to my opinions lately." He raised an eye at the levitating map with its eerie purple glow.

"Well because your opinions are accusing and unfounded." Emma dead panned. "But today's your lucky day, it's off towards Cali we go!"

As they all shuffled out of the room Henry could be heard chattering about how Disney Land was in California and Belle questioning again about who this Disney person was who owned not just land, but worlds.

/

"Ooh can we just stop here a minute? I won't be long I promise!" Belle begged from the backseat. Emma pulled up awkwardly in front of the library in the small town they were driving through. This was the third one they had stopped at so far over the past four days, Belle asked to stop at them in the same manner that some people ask to stop at bathrooms. She always ran into them alone then emerged several minutes later with a slight look of defeat on her face, but still that spring in her step. "Maybe she's looking for her favorite book?" Emma wondered out loud one time while waiting. "I thought all the books were her favorite." Offered Henry from the backseat. Emma saw Gold shrug his shoulders in amusement at that one, but offered nothing of his own to the conversation.

Today it was a small modern library with stucco sides and cube shaped bushes all around it. And Belle emerged as usual with her look of quietly cheerful defeat. When she returned to the car, Emma had to ask, "What are you looking for anyways?"

"I'll know when I see it." Belle said with a little dignity.

/

"Emma! Emma my god, it's good to hear your voice!" Mary Margaret's own voice sung through the cell phone. They were at another rest stop, stretching legs and such. Belle and Henry were checking out a display about local attractions while Gold seemed happy to wonder off by himself in the trees, with his suit and knotted walking stick he looked like a business man lost in the wilds. Emma took up her familiar position of leaning on her bug with her phone in her hand.

"Yeah! Hi! It's, ..uh, good to hear yours as well." Emma stuttered slightly to realize the sentiment was very true.

"Where are you? How are you? I can't.. I mean, it's just you left so suddenly." Mary Margaret was trying to sound upbeat but Emma could tell it was a bit manufactured.

"Yeah it was a very spur of the moment decision,.. I'm sorry. Otherwise I would of told you." Emma wondered if that was really true. "But, I'm good, we're all good." She glanced around the rest stop where quite a few other traveling folks meandered around. "Mostly." She finished.

"Well, that's good." There was a loaded pause before Mary Margaret jumped into the question, "Why, exactly, did you leave with... Mr. Gold?"

"Yeah..., we're looking for his..., his son is apparently living somewhere in this world?" Emma noticed a older lady raise an eyebrow at her when walking by and hearing her.

"He has a son?" This was obviously news to Mary Margaret and there was a muffled conversation away from the phone, probably with David, while she took in that information. "I guess that explains why he wanted to leave town so bad."

"Uh yeah." Emma fiddled with a bit of her hair, only just resisting the urge to braid it using magic, knowing people were around.

"The uh,.." Emma heard Mary Margaret falter slightly on the phone, she then heard David's voice in the background. "Yeah, I..yes, David... Emma? ... David why don't you just talk to her yourself!" There was shuffle on the line and Emma absentmindedly scratched her head, feeling fidgety. Then David's familiar voice came on the phone.

"Emma?"

"Yeah, David! Hi!" Please don't weirdly lecture me, Emma silently hoped.

"Emma, you left so suddenly. The fairies, they were quite concerned! Looked for you all over town,... They say your powers are much better and under control but that your training is incomplete and you,.. You might still be a bit, volatile."

"Uh, no. No I think I'm doing just fine with... With it." She finished blankly, aware if the random eyes that casually glanced her way.

"Oh? Well, they are the finest teachers of magic.. But, um, it's just Blue was a little upset when she found you had left..." At this Emma swore she heard Mary Margaret scoff in the background, ".. A little upset? She was down right furious,.. Leaving town with Rumpelstilskin of all people..."

"Yeah, uh" David continued, "Blue is just as worried about you as the rest of us, Emma. Just, you should come back here, this isn't your search to be on anyways. You belong with us, all together. Let Rumpelstilskin look on his own, he's more of a...loner anyways, don't you think?" David did a little nervous laugh. Emma took in Gold's distant lone silhouette hobbling by the trees. "And you know, we miss you and Henry." David offered genuinely as a closer.

"We miss you guys too, but trust me those fairies," Her voice raising a bit uncontrollably, "are not as innocently concerned as you think. I had to get away from them,... I can't totally explain right now," Emma awkwardly sputtered when several people raised their eyes in alarm at her when walking by.

"Uh." Was all she heard from David, then Mary Margaret took over the phone again.

"Emma we don't blame you for leaving, and we love and trust you," Emma smiled to think of the warning look she must be giving to David right now. And it actually made her heart swell a bit at the thought of them. "You just do whatever you need to do and then come home to us. And one of these days we'll actually be a family.." She drifted off at the end and sounded more like she was talking to herself. "Oh and Emma, remember what I told you about magic, don't lose yourself." There was a suddenly sputter of chatter from David in the background, "Okay Emma... We've got to go! Bye love you!" There was a sudden click and Emma found herself mumbling "love you too?" to an empty line.

So, Blue and the fairies were mad that she skipped town with the Dark One. Emma let that sink in, though it didn't surprise her. If it wasn't for the town line, she knew they'd be after them. She thought about the story that Nova had told her, about how the Blue Fairy didn't want Rumpelstilskin to reunite with his son, because it would 'throw off the balance of the worlds.' How could one little boy being reunited with his father possibly throw off a balance of worlds? Whole worlds thrown off balance? Was that even possible? A shiver passed over her skin as she cautiously glanced over at Henry who was still grabbing brochures about water parks and haunted tours with Belle. But then she shook it off with reminding herself that the fairies were not human, and their sense of balance was probably something very different.

/

Gold was shuffling about in the trees of the rest stop just looking for a quiet moment to himself. He wanted to be this better person for Belle and for the son he lost, but his obsessions were simply that, obsessions. He couldn't shake them so easily. For years and years, so many they blurred into just a dull ache of never ending forever, all his focus was obsessed with gaining the power and magic to get back his son. The details of his finely crafted plan slowly and very surely falling into place and until a few months ago everything had been going exactly as planned and expected. He'd spent so long watching and observing human behavior and the general course of existence, that it was very rare that things did not go exactly as he predicted. And thus life moved forward for him, like the predictable gears of a clock, as he played his part in a game that he had the constant comfort of knowing he was winning.

Till now. It was like a screaming and a tearing at his very fabrication. Feelings of being not in control he had not felt since he first lost his son. Then magic, his very essence and life breath - regardless of what Belle said, he heard the voice screaming in his head, he needed it - was torn from him. Necessary he knew to leave Storybrooke, to find Bae, but part of him had hoped he'd be able to cling to it. And of course, Emma had her magic. Of course, the great and powerful child born of true love. Even in a world without magic, her magic prevailed. She didn't even appreciate or respect the power of her own magic. Using it for mundane tasks, she walked a line of casual abuse. He glanced tensely over at her, over there chatting away on the phone, casually twirling her hair. Probably talking to her charming parents. Because, of course, everyone - everyone! - gets reunited with their loved ones with such ease it made him sick. While he had fought and calculated and driven himself quite mad, he knew, for longer than any of them could comprehend. And yet, here he stood alone. Even Belle when near him, was just beyond his grasp. He knew she would never truly be his and he was foolish to think otherwise. Perhaps Bae was the same, always to be just out of reach. Maybe this was just his destiny, to be alone. It made him desperate to angrily kick something but he didn't think his leg would agree.

He looked back over at the others, realizing Emma had ended her phone call and Henry had run over to excitedly show her something. Belle lingered and looked in his direction, questioningly. His eyes drifted back to Emma and Henry, the way Emma placed her arm gently around Henry and bent to talk with him. The quiet smiles they exchanged. And there was a knot in his stomach, it really did make him feel sick. He was sure it was a blinding jealously, yet something about that knot nagged at him. But he refused to consider that Belle was right, he did not care for them. "They will serve their purpose." He mumbled at himself as he started back to join the group.


End file.
